it's unhealthy to hold things in Sometimes
by Xu Lu
Summary: Moving into my older sister's apartment with her as my guardian isn't that bad, actually. Once she learns to stop sucking her husband's dick at the dinner table whenever she thinks nobody is watching, that is. (rinlen, feat. lui)
1. mar03

I haven't seen my older sister in over six years.

It's not that surprising. Some people have been estranged from their family for decades, left without a trace, and not many have batted an eyelash at it so why should I?

I don't remember that much about her. I mean, I know _enough_ , of course,

We weren't necessarily close as children, having an age difference of eight years, and I was naturally a very awkward kid who'd shy away from the first sight of social interactionー but from what I can say, she was an alright sibling. She'd pull my cheek and kiss my head one minute, then wrestle me the next. Normal. Not unique, but she not something I could just throw away forgotten like autumn leaves in spring. The _last_ thing I could remember of her was her crying face in tears, how she had a secret boyfriend that dad highly disapproved of, (whether it was because of financial status or whatnot, I never paid attention,) and after much protests and overnight arguments, she'd ended up eloping with him one day before she turned seventeen.

I had never seen her again after that.

Dad forbid any mentioning of her ever since the incident, wiping her existence away into the snow. My mum, who was suffering from cancer had passed away just a year after that, crying over the loss of their only daughter and begging to see _her baby_ just _one last time_ on her deathbed. But her presence was absent even at our mother's funeral.

Three years later, dad's life was taken too. An open shooting and he'd been at the wrong place at the wrong time. I barely remember that day. My mind still becomes a blur whenever I think back on it, and my head was hung in emptiness, trying to figure out what went on and where was _reality_.

Fifteen years old, standing in front of my father's picture at the funeral and feeling those _words_ being said behind my back.

No more close living relatives. All alone. How _pitiful_. And they'd left. One by one, making excuses about how they couldn't take me in. My uncle had his own children to feed, my mother's distant cousins were running on a lack of money. One after another, and they'd all left with only a pat on my back to fake empathy and affection.

I'd stayed until the end.

I had nothing better to do than to stare at the darkened skies, watching each passing cloud float through the wind. Everybody left, and I counted the hours before the building would close it's gates.

As the crimson sun fell down, I went back inside to pay my last respects. I couldn't even be bothered to think about where to live, if my house would be taken away from me ー nothing, everything felt like it was stagnant. Not crashing down but staying still in the air. My feet was stopped in it's tracks when I heard a wail. A sniffle, a sob, and then a full blown cry. I had half a mind to peer around the wall to catch a sight of a woman, blonde hair pooling across the mat as she prostrated on the ground.

"I'm sorry, _I'm sorry, I'm sorry.."_

Like driven to insanity, that was the only thing she could say. To my father's dying flame, to _his_ farewell. My body stepped forward and touched her kneeling shoulder, making her jump and turn around in shock. When our gazes met, however.. my frozen ones to the tear-stricken oceans, I only had half a moment to register those familiar warm arms being tossed around me. She leant away afterwards, rubbing away the mess on her nose and cheeks and struggling to release any other noises as her hands tenderly cupped my jaw between her palms.

"Lui..? Hi. I don't know if you still remember me, butー"

".. Sis." The word rolled off my tongue so easily, like second nature. I interrupted her words, and she only looked on with more tears. "Rin. _Rin sis._ "

She looked on, with those gleaming eyes, and her lips immediately latched onto my cheek. A million questions were suddenly on my tongue. _How have you been_ and _Where have you gone_ , so many things to ask, not enough time to go.

But she reassures it all with one simple embrace.

"I'm here to take you home."

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 _Home_ to Rin was no longer that messy, two storied household with her baby brother's toys littered here and there, our father's dozens of bookshelves nor the theuraptic scent of our mother's cooking wafting throughout each and every window.

Instead it's a neat apartment with two bedrooms, an open kitchen and living room, with just enough furniture to look lived-in but not overdoing anything. It was organised. More than I ever thought she was capable of being. But the telltale sign of a metallic band around her ring finger tells me it isn't entirely all of her work and that there's someone else attributing to the cleanliness of it. There isn't a single speck of dust in sight.

It doesn't look like there's anyone else living here, though.

Despite the homely brown walls and orange light that dangles from an orb on the ceiling, the lack of polaroids or magnets that should've at least been stuck on the fridge convinces me that she didn't have much of a say in decoration. There are no family pictures or even a small portrait of a smile ー only the flat television atop a glass coffee table and a vase of fake tulips.

Not that she noticed I was observing. "You're so much more handsome than the last time I saw you! My _baby_. So big now, I can't believe it, Mum must've been proud.."

Her palm was gripping tightly on my own as she forced me to a couch, droning on about how she'd missed me and how much older and mature I seemed. Even so, I could see her eyes flicker towards the wall clock every few minutes as if nervously awaiting for something. It's making me feel wrong, as if I shouldn't really be here. But at the same time I don't want to move at all because this is _my_ sister. Mine. Our family's only daughter.

There's no way I'm allowing somebody irrelevant to tear that all up. Not now. Not when there's nobody left.

"I mean.. you're... you're looking great too, sis." I mumbled, trying to hide the dust of red on my cheeks.

She looked at the clock again.

 _Stop that._

Surprisingly, she did. Her gaze fell onto the material of her slacks and she let out a relieved sigh. "You think so? God, that's so _good_ to finally hear! Everyone's been saying that just being _around me_ makes them stressed and old. I've been worried that I've been aging ten times faster than normal. I mean, I can barely even remember what year we're in. _Course',_ Len doesn't help ease my worries away at all.."

Silence, and I took a moment to register the name. It sounded strangely familiar.. not in the important sense, but rather in the, _hey, isn't that the name of that kid living next door_ sense. I don't think we've ever actually had a Len next door, though.

"Len, as in, your boyfriend?"

A decade ago if you'd have asked that, she probably would've waved a hand in denial, cheeks heavy in a red blush. Now, Rin only quirks a brow and rolls her shoulders into a tense wave as if she wasn't certain of the answer herself, and it's so out of character and strange that I have to stir.

"Len, as in, my _husband_."

My throat felt a little numb after hearing that.

"Oh, wow.."

" _Yes_ , wow. Your sister is a married woman, can you believe that?" She smiled and laughed, a sort of empty giggle. "Speaking of which, I don't think you've met him before.." _No shit, considering how you ran away and left your parents heartbroken on rash decisions._ I don't think I'd ever _want_ to meet her said spouse, in all honesty, but this situation doesn't warrant much of a choice. "Um, he's coming home today. I hope. Maybe you'll get along.."

Get along with somebody that _stole_ you from our family? Highly unlikely.

She must've noticed the change in my expression because Rin looked down at the carpet almost shamefully ー a palm running up and down the sides of her arm to supply comforting heat. Her nervous habit.

I don't even bother wondering why she has to doubt on whether _her own_ _husband_ is returning back to _their_ home tonight.

"You know.. I really hope you do, since you'll be living with us from now on."

"Um, right. Yeah."

Rin is persistent. "He's.. he's a bit hard to get along with at first but just give him some time and I'm sure everything will ー" Her sentence suddenly paused when she turned around and peered over the couch cushions. "Oh, Len, you're already back. Welcome.. welcome home."

The jingling of keys were heard, along with a non-committal grunt. My sister hopped off the couch and pranced towards the front entrance to take the coat off the shoulders of a man _I've never before seen in my life_ , and hanging everything he passes to her by the door onto the nearest rack and shelf. I got off the seat towards her, and like a programmed robot, she went on about what's she's bought for dinner, how she's already prepared him a warm bath _(which I had previously assumed she'd made for herself)_ and if he'd like her to do anything to ease his shoulders.

Just the sight of that made me want to vomit. I've heard stories of blue picket fence households (not _white_ because they aren't completely idealistic, coming from textbooks and magazines rather than a fairytale) of an obedient wife who follows the orders of her husband like a dog that bends it's head below their master's feet.

I'd always thought that illogical. Who, in their right minds ー of course they are excused if diagnosed with a mental illness ー would willingly subject to this type of life?

Apparently my own _sister_.

Maybe that was just her doting nature. Rin already hurried to fetch a dry towel from one of their cabinets and ruffle it thoroughly through her husband's golden honeyed hair. "Your hair is wet! Did it rain on your way here?"

Water was drizzling messily onto the floor and when that man finished taking off his shoes, he'd walked away from her without saying a word nor blinking an eye, almost as if her presence was like air. She'd looked somewhat stricken while holding the dampened cloth limply in her palms before finally deciding to put it up on a hanger by the large window.

And that man walked by, only stopping in his tracks when he saw me standing in the way. His voice was harsh when he spoke.

"Who's this?"

"Lui ー he's my little brother."

"Hm." It came out as a tired grunt.

And with that he promptly walked off into the master bedroom and closed the door behind him.

Rin gave me an apologising look, her reddened eyes who had been swimming with tears beginning to water once again, and I gaped after the man speechlessly. So she tugged on my wrist and brought me over to the door beside the large glass windows, revealing a small bedroom. Not to say the size was comfy, but it wasn't exactly a cupboard either. There was a single bed against the corner of the room and my sister pushed my back onto the pillows.

"It's been a long day, Lui. I have to prepare dinner in about an hour, so I think you should take a nap and I'll wake you up once it's ready, alright?"

She spoke in _that_ voice. The same voice our mum always uses when there's no room for arguments. I'd only formed a cheeky grin, felt her thumb swipe away some wet streaks from the bottom of my eyes and cheeks, and kiss my nose as our tradition for a little goodbye.

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I woke up at the sound of a scream. I hadn't fallen asleep on purpose ー my eyes closed to the promise of a five-minute blink and somehow it progressed to much longer than that. The skies outside were a dark purple, visible from the window, and when I looked at my watch I noticed that it was just three hours until Midnight. That said, Rin hadn't woken me up as promised.

I stood up with my feet padding lightly across the carpeted ground.

One step after another, until I'm all the way out from that bedroom, following the source of sound.. leading right in front of the master bedroom's door. I lifted my hand to knock but instead of being able to rap a sound, the door creaked open to reveal what's within. Two bodies held together on the bed, illuminated by the moonlight, one whispering small hushes and the other one whining beneath the former's lips.

"Mmmh... m-move, god damn it."

" _Fuck you,_ Rin, don't tell me what to do..."

There was a moment of silence.

"Nooo.. baby..? Please m-move, baby. I love you..." She tried a different approach, kissing his neck and nuzzling her nose beneath his jaw. "Oh, I love you... so much..." Her lips were desperately seeking each inch of his skin within reach to pepper with smooches. "Mm.. mwah~ baby, you like that, don't you?"

 _What's going on ー ?_ Out of curiosity, I bent on my knees and pushed the door slightly further to catch a sight; seeing my _own sister_ with her breasts exposed and bare hips connecting to Len's, as her body sank comfortably against the sheets. Her eyes were dreamlike, and their fingers interlocked. At least, until he broke that serenity by thrusting his body deeper into hers and allowing his wife to emit another loud scream that echoed throughout the halls. He made an attempt to muffle the woman by smothering his mouth over her own.

I was halfway in between vomiting and making my presence known when they went wilder, rolling on the mattress and somehow getting Rin on top. She'd jumped, his hands gripped on her waists, and they'd sought another rhythm.

God, god, he was _inside_ her. A clear shot.

I'm watching someone have sex. I'm watching _my older siste_ r have sex. I want to die.

 _Mum, dad, take me with you._

Like a minute of being struck by lightning, a million daggers were piercing into my soul. My eyes were almost bleeding, and that _man_ still had the audacity to moan. "Rin... Rin..! K-kiss! Let me k-kiss... _pleeease_..."

"Hehe, no. Not until _you,_ uhn ー " Her hips lifted and she slammed her crotch back down onto his groin, enjoying the sound of their sweat and skin slapping together. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth to catch some breath and he'd taken the opportunity to grab onto her breasts and twirl their bodies around once more allowing my sister's golden blonde hair to splay across the nearest pillow. "Uhhnn... ahn, ugh ー Len Len, you're so cruel. Oh! Don't thrust like that.."

His hands rubbed her body urgently and he moved her legs from around his waist ー bringing it up until it reached his neck. Both of her ankles were placed on his shoulders.

Len licked his lips. "H ー hauuu.. but you're so pretty when I do that. _See?_ " As if to prove a point, he took his length out ー all the way to the tip, _enough time for me to have a moment so I could wince at the size_ , before he was diving back down to the hilt. Over and over again. Out, out, and back in until there was no room to spare.

He was hammering her. I don't know how she's supposed to survive.

"Mmn.. _mm_ , yes. Yes. Oh, god, YES, LEN!"

"You ー ugh, like that..? Hm, baby, y-you like that?"

"YES! _Umh..!_ FUCK ME! LEN, _FUCK ME HARD!_ " He's taunting her and she's already lost hold of sanity. "HARDER! _HARDER_! MORE! AAH ー AAAAHN~ "

Both bodies jolted with spasms, and it was only when the husband pulled away from his wife's body and I saw a thick trail of white cream connecting from both ends, the tip of his member to her wettened vagina, while their gazes and mouths were meeting for another deep-throated kiss ー did I know to close my eyes, run away and leave, pretending as if I hadn't seen a single thing.

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.

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"Do you think he heard anything?"

"Hm?'

"Lui. Don't give me that face, Len ー yes, my little brother. I already _told_ you."

I was standing behind the other bedroom door now, peeking through the gap and feeling the living room's orange light filtering through. It seemed they made good use of a full hour having a shared bath _(though with the way you could hear the loud giggles and splashing of water, doubting that wouldn't be too far-fetched)_ and were now preparing dinner together. By that, I mean sharing a kiss with each other every single time they so little as rinse their hands, wasting enough time than needed.

Her husband seemed in a better mood than he was earlier this evening, and the change of character makes me stir.

Still, apparently his lack of interest at the sound of my name made her frustrated. She pushed his cheek away when he tried to distract her with another kiss.

"Oh, was that his name..?"

"Damn right it is. Come on, what's wrong with you? I had to convince him to come all the way out here just to meet that _husband_ I was so proud of and you simply walked past the boy without a single greeting. Don't you know how much that reflects on me? Now he probably thinks I'm just some whore who'd ran away from home to get screwed over by a man who doesn't even love me ー"

He slips his head over her shoulder with the sneakiness of a devil and successfully pecks her mouth, making Rin fume and whack the back of his head.

He sighs then. "I _do_ love you, darling. I had a bad day.. some clients are making trouble in the office and you _know_ how I feel about your family. I gave you permission to meet them, not bring them over to our _home_."

"My parents are dead, Len."

Everything fell to silence.

Rin picked up the knife and began chopping off some celery into even slices while her husband went towards the marble counter so he could sprinkle lemon juice over the steak, lips sown and speechless. He's trying to avoid her gaze so that it wouldn't be expected for him to say anything. The clock ticks from above the television, and I've got to lean closer to catch their expressions. Rin's eyes are watery again, as if she's about to have another breakdown but attempting to hold her feelings enough to last the night.

I'm surprised she even _has_ tears after how much she's wept just hours before, in all honesty.

Lucky for _Len_ , he doesn't have to say anything to break the quiet.

Rin turns towards him, knife in hand. "I know you don't _'like my family'_ and all that, but the only thing I'm asking is for you to be civilised. I _left_ that family for you, Len. I made a _sacrifice._ Sometimes it feels like you're not giving me anything in return." Her bottom lip is beginning to bleed beneath her teeth. "The last memory I left in my father was _disgust_. I always thought _one day_ , I'd be able to see him again.. _one day,_ I'd apologise and get him to _accept_.."

Those words end abruptly, choked up in her throat.

As if worried about anything going wrong, he takes the knife away from her hands and begins to chop the smooth blade onto the vegetables, pushing for her to take a seat. I don't understand _what's_ going on but just the sound of their conversation makes me want to leave.

Nobody even had to tell me that I shouldn't _be i_ n this house.

Her husband lets out a tired breath as he sprinkles some greens on top of the meat before placing all plates across the wood of their dining table. It seemed their discussion wasn't over yet, especially with the way her lips are curled into an uneven frown.

The food smells aromatic, but the rawness of their conversation puts the medium-rare steak to shame. "How long is he going to be here?"

"At least until the end of his schooling." Len makes another face to protest, but she promptly shuts him up with a glare. "If it's _that_ bad, I'll find a job and get back to work. I'll pay for his education myself ー even if I have to move out."

"Don't say that."

"If you're going to continue this _family antagonising_ bullshit, I have no other choice."

He can't help but make a sound of frustration. His eyes turn towards the door I'm hiding behind, and I have to bend down to make sure he doesn't realise I've been watching them. "I get it. I'll pay for that kid's school, okay?"

It's a relief when he finally looks away and I get to release a breath that I hadn't realise I'd been holding.

Rin's proven a better source of attention. " _And_ you'll be nice to him."

".. I'll _try._ " After rinsing his hands for what must've been the thousandth time, Len placed his palms on both sides of her cheeks before rubbing their noses together, back and forth, until she was amused enough to giggle. "Oh, my baby.. you've been crying, haven't you?"

She didn't have to nod. His arms stretched out and she willingly jumped towards his welcoming hold, forehead pressed against her lover's chest and letting out a few sobs of breath that he has to calm down with the sound of a gentle hum and his heartbeat.

"I'm sorry I hadn't noticed before.. let's talk after dinner. Then you can let it all out, hm? How does that sound.."

"Yes please..."

And it took another full five minutes of quiet embracing and kisses on the forehead before one or the other finally decided to part their bodies and wake 'that kid' _(he won't stop calling me that)_ up for dinner. Rin was complaining something about how they'd made her _baby brother wait too long to eat after having a late lunch,_ and Len was furiously staring at himself in the living room mirror.

I jumped to my feet and got on the bed just seconds before she would open the bedroom door.

Still, her husband decided to murmur softly behind her back.. enough for them to think that I wouldn't be able to hear: "To answer your question, darling, I'm sure he didn't hear anything at all."

Rin turned her back to give a shy little grin. "You think so?"

"Yeah ー so let's do _it_ again tonight."

"Ooh, of course."

All life fled from my eyes.

* * *

not sure if it'll end here or if i'll do a few more chapters, but i'll throw this fic out in the wild.


	2. may04

After a gentle nudge on the shoulder and the soft whisper of, _"Lui, darling, please wake up.. the food is finally ready. We're sorry we made you wait for so long."_ I managed the courage to mock a yawn, wipe the fake sleep off my eyes and give my older sister a ditsy smile.

Dinner was quiet that night. The sounds of knives and forks knitting together across the plates overtook the room.

Despite all of Rin's nudges on the shoulder and pouts she sent to her husband which she must've assumed I couldn't see, Len was cutting into his steak and acting completely oblivious towards her pleads. The television was streaming in the background and my sister thought it would be lovely ambience to have candlelight over the table and across the cabinets, but I'm hoping to god that none of the curtains decide to catch on fire.

She gave up on him, instead watching me poke awkwardly into my meat trying to clear the image of _that_ from my mind. "What's wrong..? Is the steak not cooked well enough?" Her voice turned soft, into a timid tone, and she looked somewhat like a kicked puppy. I had to gulp.

"No, no, it's nothing.. I was just thinking."

Without me doing anything, she broke open, spilling out defenses, "It _is_ the steak, isn't it? I'm so sorry, Lui! It's just that Len always prefers _his_ medium rare, and honestly I absolutely _despise_ it like that as well but then he'll refuse to eat it, so I tend to forget that other people have different tastes even though I tried to cook yours for a little while longer and ー oh, gosh, just hand it here and I'll place it back on the grill."

Her hand took hold of my plate, attempting to take the dish away but I hurriedly pulled it back to my side of the table.

"No, Sis, it's fine, really. I just haven't been hungry lately."

"Oh..! Yes, that's.. understandable."

Rin bit her bottom lip, thinking to herself while a rumble of a storm brew in the distance. It'd only be a few more minutes until the dark clouds took over the roof of this building and the entire district to cover it with immense rain. If nobody blew the candles out, the howling wind likely would.

Soon afterwards her husband cleared his plate, took it to the sink and washed off the grime before heading into their bedroom without another word. Rin looked at me apologetically but didn't try to justify his actions, telling me to help myself to anything in the fridge and get as much rest as possible because we'd be heading out early tomorrow morning. I agreed without complaint.

But I still watched. Right after she turned off the lights and entered the master bedroom where her husband was waiting, unseen, the door closed behind her and there was the sound of a yell, followed by muffled arguing ー until the creaking sound of two bodies landing aggressively on the bed followed.

I didn't leave the guest room at all until the next day.

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Rin was already waiting in front of the television by the time I got out of bed, sitting on the carpet with sprawled sheets of paper beneath her legs.

I took a few minutes to register that she was speaking to me, and a few more to know what she was speaking to me _about_. There were school application forms, flyers, and she was already skimming through some tabs on a laptop with brows knitted together in frustration. The sun wasn't up yet and somehow my sister seemed more awake than ever. Not that I could sleep very well either. I had to hesitate before folding my legs and decidedly sitting beside her.

She greeted that movement by wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me close to bury her nose on the top of my head. Rin left a kiss amongst the honeyed curls only to later move a few inches away.

"You still smell like Mum.." She mused, then her voice dropped softly to talk about a different subject. "Um.. if it's alright, I want you to consider transferring schools."

"Transferring?"

"Well.. your current tuition fees are a bit high, and ー oh, no! It's not that we can't afford it! I just want you to consider something else." I must've turned a little pale at remembering that, _oh, yeah, my being here is troubling my older sister's comfortable life,_ and it's no doubt her husband will be able to find more reasons hate our family even more. Rin tried to ruffle my hair and reassure that there were no worries. "It's completely fine if you want to continue attending your current one, we can make do, we'll manage."

It didn't help much.

My decision was already made: I wanted to be as little of a bother as possible. "I'll transfer."

"Really? I mean, you can think about it a little longer, I don't want to take you away from your friends ー"

"It's fine. My current school is already too far from this city, isn't it? I don't want to waste more money on transportation."

Rin's face fell and she was biting her lip, _her swollen lip that obviously had been thoroughly kissed just the night before_ , no doubt regretting ever bringing up the subject of changing schools. She leant back to stare at the ceiling for a full minute so she could sort out her thoughts. It's a familiar habit that I often do every once in a while as well and it's comforting to see that she's still the same sister from all those years in the past.

The same sister that had a similar laugh to my father and a similar smile to my mother. The sister who baked a failed monstrosity of egg tarts in our home's small kitchen and put a chin over my smaller shoulder to help me with my homework. The sister who _left_.

Except my shoulder isn't exactly smaller than hers now, and neither is the rest of me.

My eyes unwillingly scanned Rin up and down, finding the differences from then and now. Her face was no longer as filled with baby fat, and she had wrinkles and age above her lips. Her hair was shorter ー she used to maintain a perfect length that hovered over her shoulders, but now it was a wavy bobcut that curled around the shape of a heart.

Those little differences were pushed to the back of my mind quickly. I could see the heavy red blush tainting her cheeks upon the arrival of Len Kagamine, who had his hair tousled up in the messiest waves I'd ever seen on a head. Sleep still seemed heavy in his eyes and he clumsily circled around the couch in a beeline towards his wife, not paying any attention to my existence. He'd took her chin in a hand, brought her face up towards his, and pressed his mouth over her own.

My sister must've forgotten I was here too because she closed her eyes and wound her arms around his neck, lifting a leg and most probably planning to wrap it around his waist.. Her lips left his with a loud ' _POP_ '.

"Morning, love." Rin cooed, sickeningly sweet. "You look like you could use a bit more sleep today."

"Yeah, morning.. gettin' to work early, so wanna head into the bath together?"

She nodded in response before slanting her head to one side so they could share another long smooching session.

She couldn't see me at one point because she was preoccupied with scattering kisses on the side of her husband's ear with his neck and shoulder blocking all lines of sight, but when she did, after moving to the other side for a repeated treatment, blue eyes met amber and we both froze into ice. Ah. So _now_ she remembers me. It's good to know that I was just _forgotten_ rather than ignored.

She pushed the blond away, whispered about how he should wait for her in the toilet, and her husband left under her orders ー only after bumping into a lamp and a wall.

Rin met my eyes again.

 _Please don't say anything about it, please don't say anything about it, please don't say anything about it, I don't want to know_ ; I tried to signal those words through my gaze because the last thing I wanted to hear was about their ' _affectionate_ ' routines. The mental image of my own older sister.. doing _that_... flashed once again in my mind and I had to take a break and shiver. I can already imagine my dad rising up from his ashes to murder Len Kagamine.

"He can't see in the mornings."

"Hm?"

"Len. He's ー he hasn't put on his contacts yet so he can't see in the mornings." She looked down with flushed skin. Apparently I'm supposed to take that as an apology for their actions _. Right, maybe he didn't know I was here, but you did._ Rin breathed before continuing on, paying no attention to the wary looks I sent her. "I'm worried he'll trip in the bath, he's horribly clumsy. You don't mind, do you?"

 _Worried he'll trip,_ my arse. Maybe the first part of what she said was the truth, but I _know_ when Rin lies and there was something larger behind her concerns for his wellbeing in the showers.

I don't know why I shook my head and released her, but when I did, she grinned the smile of a thousand suns and looked like heaven while she stood up and pranced towards the recently-closed door.

I decided to scan through the papers Rin picked out and saw the academic options. The tuition fees were, if not more expensive, just barely cheaper than the amount my parents already paid for mine, and that's a large difference between a family with middle-aged parents who grew up with enough support and sufficient finances, in comparison to only one working partner, and were likely still struggling to pay off student debt.

Rin probably never went to college and now she's got to pay out of her own pocket to fund the chances of sending her younger brother to one. That makes me feel like if she didn't get the opportunity then I shouldn't either.

Our dad wrote her name off his will so the inheritance is locked until I turn eighteen. When she found out, Rin only managed a weak smile and repeated that 'we'll manage' before kissing my head and putting on her usual carefree air. I'd likely be able to pay her back by then, when we can get our hands in it, but it's still three years from now.

 _We'll manage?_

Honestly, I don't think we will.

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I managed to avoid going out to the living room again until I was sure I heard the click of the front door, indicating that my sister's husband finally left his house. By the time the coast was clear, the sun was already up and Rin was preparing two mugs of coffee along with cookies on a plate, ready for further discussion on academics. Vaguely, I'm wondering what kind of office that man even works at to be heading out before six in the morning, but I don't want to seem _too_ interested in him, especially with the way he's treating my existence like air.

The skies were still violet and just the slightest orange coating it's tips, and Rin looked heavily curious yet timid, as if she wanted to ask something but was afraid of frightening me away.

"Do you have to go to work?" I decided to ask after refusing her offer over the drink.

She frowned a little before pouring it down the drain.

"No, I just stay around and rot away on a couch all day because it's what _he_ wants."

Rin's voice is uncannily bitter than I've ever heard leave her lips, though maybe that's not too much of a surprise considering the pitch black of her coffee. She's tapping a finger against the rim of her own drink now, murmuring cuss words beneath her breath about the disgusting taste on her tongue. It didn't seem like she drank coffee that often. I was slightly tempted to suggest adding milk to her mug but soon enough she poured her own drink into the sink as well.

A second later, she was murmuring beneath her breath about _useless husbands who never buy their wives' favourite instant chocolate drinks on grocery trip stores._

She doesn't seem to think he's that useless when she's all wrapped around him like lice, though.

Oh, _disgusting_. The kettle let out a whiff of steam and a shriek at the stove behind Rin until she turned off the heat.

It didn't hurt to make small chat. "But you _want_ to?"

"Of course I _want_ to. That way I can send you to any school you want," Rin pinched my cheek, suddenly cooing, before sighing out the nearest window. "It's just.. well, we're relying on Len's income right now and he doesn't even want me to leave the house." Not unexpected. "It's daunting to his ego.. or something like that. Sorry, Lui, I shouldn't be talking to you about these kinds of things, Big Sis just tends to ramble every now and then, but she's gotta learn to stop."

Our dad _did_ protest against their relationship. It's her own fault if she's less than happy about it.

The opinion was left unsaid.

"You can continue if you want."

"I'd honestly love to talk more about _you_."

So we did. Her skin was clearer and fresh, with a glow that I wasn't sure came from the bath or her laughter, but the rising sun couldn't compare against her smiles. She resorted to making some tea before announcing that we should continue our research in finding the best option for a new school.

I didn't have so much of an attachment to my old one, but the entire year's tuition fees were already paid and it'd be a waste to see everything thrown to the wind all because of a move.

Rin considered that deeply and said she wanted to think more about it before making a decision, and just thought it would be nice to have more of my opinion over it. She smiled again, sharing an uncanny resemblance to our mother with a secret glint in her eyes that made you sit still in place.

We talked about a number of things; how she was proud of my academic grades, how a single day never passed without her thinking about me, how she has dreams, every now and then, about simpler times in our childhood where she'd prance across the grass and hold my tiny hand in her own.

Her mouth parted, almost as if she finally got the confidence to ask me what she wanted to earlier, but the resolve was interrupted with a smooth ring of her cellphone.

Blown out candles were all over the room yet being unlit didn't mean it stopped spreading the gentle vanilla fragrance.

There are other candles around as well, stored up in the display cabinets. Lavender, daffodils, roses, lime.. I thought maybe they just found it fancy and welcoming to light fire up in the home every now and then, but seeing my sister's collection, maybe they just enjoyed varying scents and enjoyed their apartment feeling different each week in general. Our own parents would've never allowed flames inside the house, much less inside a high-rise building.

Rin accepted the call and I picked at my fingernails while eavesdropping on the conversation, not knowing what's going on the other side but hearing her voice turn from a light airy tone into something filled with nervousness. She didn't say anything much, just hums of her breath and nothing literal.

I mouthed a few words, wondering who she was talking to, but she only put her phone down and said it was nobody of importance.

.

.

.

.

It's raining again today.

Rin forced an umbrella into my hands before I even left through the front door just one hour ago and that was _before_ this storm came. The forecast said there was a loe chance of storm but apparently it's better to trust your older sister's instincts because it proved right. The trees rustled, leaves flushing through the wind and the trunks of all the wood threatening to snap over the roads. I had to wait out in a convenience store for the storm to pass while reveling in the warm cup noodles.

Curry and lobster.

Mum's favourite.

The spice went up to my nostrils and I had to hold in a sneeze so I could take a nice, warm sip.

The rain got heavier, almost like sharp needles of ice, and I soon recognised it to be hail rather than an average storm. One hour passed, and soon another, with no chance of this ever becoming light so I spent more time inside that store than I planned to, refilling the cup with warm water whenever needed. I wasn't alone. A few teenage girls were sitting a some seats away from me on the left, still in their school uniform and giggling about the latest gossip underneath their breath.

They were drinking green tea and eating ice cream ー they've been here a while, too.

They must've come from the academies just up ahead on this road.

One of them twisted her head around, a middle-schooler with dark black pigtails, and we met gazes. Her cheeks turned red. A friend of hers decided to laugh, and she turned away.

When I stared out the glass windows again I couldn't help but groan. _What a pain_. All I wanted was to get used to this neighbourhood more but instead I'm stuck inside this confinement like a hamster while a group of city girls are laughing behind my back. I should've listened when Rin suggested I wait to explore _tomorrow_. I didn't bring a jacket either, and my phone died before I even woke up.. sometimes you really should just check the battery.

A car stopped outside the store, honked, and I watched those girls squeal as they ran out through the rain and into the safety of the vehicle before it drove off. How lucky.

I guess I'm just stuck here.. maybe even until this store closes down, and then I'll just stand outside in the rain. Rin's going to _murder_ me.

Maybe I'll get murdered just by standing outside in the darkness. This district isn't safe anyways, there's probably going to be some child trafficking people who'll grab me by the neck and toss me into their truck or something like that. Or maybe the police is going to enlist me as a teenage runaway.

"Hey, _you_."

A hand suddenly grabbed hold of my wrist and I let out a gasp.

My eyes met solid blue, deeper than the ones I've ever seen ー even Rin's.

At first I assumed the child trafficking people had merely gotten impatient and just didn't want to wait the entire day for the opportunity to abduct me, but then I recognised those eyes. Familiar eyes. Not ones I'm used to, but they were wide and hazed and his entire body was trembling from either the cold or lack of breath. Damp, blond strands of hair stuck to his cheeks. Her husband.

He let out a shaky exhale. "I've been looking _everywhere_ for you. Couldn't have just been a good kid and stayed in one spot, could you?"

I didn't know what to say.

"I've been here for hours..?"

The look he shoots me sends warning signs above my head, notifying that I should keep my mouth shut. I looked behind him, hoping to see the figure of my sister behind him. Rin was no where to be seen.

"Minutes, hours, who the _fuck_ cares? I had to run around like a pathetic _fetchdog_ all because your sister was worried you'd jumped off a bridge or fell into a _ditch_. Would've been easier for me, honestly, but it's not as if I have anything _better_ to do so thanks for the trouble."

"Sorry..."

"Get in the car." His voice is sharp and he doesn't give me any room to protest. I'm dragged by the shoulder, and Len doesn't bother to open up the umbrella before going into a mad sprint across the road to reach the vehicle. The seats are wet by the time we're inside, me in the back seat, my clothes are soaking it up even more.

The drive back home was quiet and I tried to make eye contact in the rearview mirror but he never looked at me once.

I'm the first person my sister runs towards when we return, her eyes looking red as if she was one minute away from cracking into pieces, demanding why I hadn't picked up any calls. Len had to walk towards his room in silence while his wife fussed over drying my hair and getting a new change in clothes, running to prepare me a warm bath and the nice, hot chocolate that she'd apparently managed to coax him into going out to buy.

I could hear Len sneeze in the distance but it isn't paid any mind.

The other day, _he_ was the one she'd been desperate to get warm from the rain. Now it's almost like the scales went off imbalanced.

I've always hated Len Kagamine for breaking apart my family ー but somehow, why do I feel so guilty?

* * *

hmmm, how's this


	3. jul02

The sun rose a minute earlier in the sky today than it did the previous morning.

The bells of empty glasses clinking around in the kitchen sink could be heard all the way inside the guest bedroom, and it was endless. Each little movement echoed through the walls, and if you tried hard enough, you could hear the neighbour snoring all the way from next door.

"Just take a day off from work until you're feeling better."

"Easy for _you_ to say. You're not the one making sure there's food on the dinner table."

The married couple's argument from the living room was louder. I stared up at the ceiling, watching a thick orange light seep through the windows to replace the darkness. The city was beginning to get warm.. enough snow had melted away to make way for grass, and plenty of flowers were beginning to blossom in preparation for a new season.

"You didn't have to go into the rain. I told you I'd go looking for him myself, _you_ were the one who held me back and told me not to."

"Pushing the blame on me now? I'm not the _fucking kid_ who ran off during the night, troubling others who have absolutely no relation to them. After agreeing to pay for his bloody education, the least he can do is stay out of trouble."

"And he was! He didn't ask for you to get him, he was waiting out the storm. Don't you _dare_ push this onto him!"

More arguing. Some muffled screaming.

It all ended so suddenly with hurried footsteps and the front door closing with a loud slam.

.

.

.

.

By the time I came out, Rin was airing out the laundry over a clothesline with some clips by the balcony alone. She wore shorts and a shirt that seemed far too big for her body, easily flowing beneath her thighs. The vague wonder of what would happen if a gust of wind took over was slightly worrying, not only because of the laundry possibly floating away, but with how snall and light Rin was, she'd likely be carried along with it. Of course, she didn't seem the lightest bit concerned.

Maybe I should stop being _too_ paranoid.

She was staring at the smaller city buildings and occasional scatter of trees and grass below, while in the background, the television ran a few pop songs on repeat. My sister was lightly swaying to the beat, most likely to distract herself from remembering what happened a few hours prior, and she clipped a pair of brasserie to the line.

Her movements stopped when she turned around and met me right in the eye. She stopped dancing on her toes and instead froze to blush, likely at having been caught. "Morning, darling. You're up early." She blinked twice, lips spread into a grin.

 _Eigh_ t in the morning wasn't exactly what I'd call early. Still, for the sake of response, I offered a weak smile and nodded my head in return.

A pair of shoes and the coat that always hung off the rack was gone by the entrance. "Did _he_ go out?"

"Len? Yeah, he's at work. He'll be back around six o'clock tonight."

"Do you need help with that?" I stepped forwards, taking a garment out of the basket ー a long white dress that nearly trailed across the floor, and lifted it to hang on one of the higher lines. Rin ruffled my head with an absent hand appreciatively, before heading back to work.

We finished quickly and she walked to the kitchen, taking out a pan and preparing some pancake batter while the fresh scent of water and rose-scented laundry detergent entered from the open doors and windows. Upon a closer look I noticed she had dark circles beneath her eyes, and her brows were just gently stitched together as if she was frustrated but was failing at hiding it away. _Because of me,_ I thought quietly, _because of me._

It can't just be because of me.

I mean, the only fault I've done was taking my phone out when it wasn't charged. I never asked him to go looking for me.

Nobody asked him to steal away their daughter, but he still did it. There's no reason for me to feel guilty about it.

 _Or_ I'm lying to myself.

Fresh pancakes settled in front of me with a fancy plate and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and Rin was biting on her nails while she prepared her own batch. She was still biting them even after she finished cooking, being more focused on staring at the blue sky outside as if she was praying to the clouds.

I cleared my throat. "Sis, is... is everything okay?"

Rin hesitated.

She met my gaze. "He has a fever."

I didn't have time to question her further.

Her next few words came out in a rapid rush, not once stopping in it's best like a demi-semiquaver on slur. "He's sick and he has a fever and even though he pushed himself into going to work today, I made him feel worse about it!" A gasp of breath, a whine, and she broke our line of sight to bury her face into her palms without any hesitation to cry.

Rin clapped her cheeks and looked forwards in determination. It was almost like all signs of her former stress faded away, all in the flash of light. Her eyes were still red with dark circles beneath, but she seemed calm enough to force herself through it.

"I'm so sorry, Lui.. oh, gosh, I wanted to tell you that we're checking out the new school for you tomorrow morning. You don't mind, do you?"

"Tomorrow's a Saturday, isn't it?"

"Their administration will still be there so the gates are open. I have a friend who's a professor, too, you won't have to worry too much because I'm sure she'll look after you."

I felt her pull my body towards her own and leave a tender kiss on my head. I tried to smile.

 _She smells like Mum._

"Fine with me."

.

.

.

.

We went out for grocery shopping sometime in the afternoon because Rin decided it'll be easier for her to get things down before I finish my break and get back to school. It felt weird, with her hand slinking through my own like I was five years old again, going for sprints to the market whenever our Mum requested fresh celery or new packets of milk for whatever she needed to prepare dinner that night. And I'd always walk back through the front door with a lollipop in my mouth that my older sister treated me to.

She did ask me if I wanted any by instinct, a few orange-flavoured ones in her hands.

Her cheeks flushed when I let out an amused laugh. She didn't understand why, though, and I didn't bother explaining it to her.

Rin _never_ changes.

"I think I'm going to make steamed salmon for dinner~" She was singing, a light bounce in her feet. It was interesting to watch how easily she managed it while walking in heels. "With fries, and cream, and we'll watch enough movies to last til' midnight."

I walked behind a few steps, a bag of rice against my chest while bags containing raw fish were slipping from my fingers.

I wonder.

 _I wonder how many trips like these she had to go alone._

.

.

.

.

We ate dinner tonight alone, going against expectations of Rin's husband coming home before sunset, and while we did watch one television show that lasted twenty minutes and she was putting on her giggling act that tried to relax me ー proving an effective distraction from me asking her whether anything was wrong, the woman still sent me to bed earlier than she promised. Her excuse was about needing the both of us to wake up on time for checking around the new school campus.

It was for something else.

She took a long warm shower in the bathroom, and while I pretended to be in bed, I saw her walk into the hall through the gap in the door an hour later.

She sat by the entrance and stared towards the wall clock, counting down to who-knows-what, and her eyes were slowly closing and her body was swaying from keeping her back straight.

I was going to lift her onto the couch or bed once she fell asleep, I promised I was ー

And she did.

She closed her eyes and leant her body sideways until she was resting completely on the wooden floorboard. Her hands were out cold, and she didn't move at all. I pushed the door open by an inch and took one step towards her limp body but just as the clock hit midnight, the jingle of keys were heard and the front door burst open.

Len Kagamine slung his coat on the rack and aggressively tossed his keys into a little glass bowl by the shoerack, looking like a complete wreck. The same dark eyes that were identical to his wife's, and his blond hair was swept up in the air like it'd been rampaged by an entire tornado.

He was likely about to storm into his bedroom and fall asleep in all that fury but stopped in his tracks before he could carry out the rest of his actions.

He eyed the woman's body on the floor and for a moment I thought he was going to fling his shoes off and kick her to the side for blocking his path, but instead bent down, shook her shoulders ー and after there was no response, lifted my sister onto one arm and stabilised her with another before retiring into their shared bedroom. An obvious _click_ sounded once the door closed behind them.

Thankfully he hadn't noticed me.

I took that as a cue to get back inside my own blankets and fill my thoughts with something else.

.

.

.

.

"Stop moving so much please." Her hands were fixing a cool patch onto his head and Len was busying himself by landing both palms onto the roundness of her arse, appreciatively groping it. Rin let out a squeal. "Not now! You're sick, you've got a fever, I'm not letting you go to the office today until I'm sure it's gone down and honestly the last thing I want right now is to catch your flu because I gave in to having sex with you."

"What if you _don't_ give in?"

"Are you suggesting you'll be a good boy today?"

"Nah.. I was thinking of being a little more _rough_ in the bedroom, if you know what I mean."

"No."

Len let out a whine and buried his head head deeper into my sister's lap.

Apparently he'd really gotten sick after searching for me that night in the rain _(which I hadn't asked for, mind you_ ), and because he'd skipped taking medication in his show of storming out from the apartment the previous morning, leaving wife internally frantic the entire day, now he's reduced to a mess spread out on the couch who still needs his wife to nurse him back to health.

She gently combed through his hair with a few fingers, trying to soothe away the pain. A cold bowl of chicken soup lay untouched on the coffee table.

I wasn't working particularly hard to be noticed. At first I thought he was purposely ignoring me, but upon a closer peek I noticed that those sharp blue eyes were unusually cloudy and his cheeks were redder than I've ever seen.

He didn't look at me once ー as if he couldn't even notice me.

Maybe that was the truth.

A sharp burn rushed up my chest and I was reminded with that feeling of guilt. Rin had her back turned towards me, facing the television, and her arms gently cushioned her husband's neck while the man was preparing to close his eyes. It didn't seem like it was of his own will, because his lips issued another protest when she traced her fingertips over his lashes and forced them to close.

It was silent, like he'd actually fallen asleep. And then a mature voice broke through with a deep tenor, though the words were drowsy and dragged on each syllable. "I don't want to go to sleep.. not yet."

Rin seemed just as surprised at his words as I was. "You have to fully recover. It's not like you get a break like this everyday, rest as much as you can." She brought her own mouth down to his face and caressed the man's ear with her lips.

"Stay with me? Please."

"I have to go ー"

"Please. I'm sorry for what I said yesterday.. I didn't mean it, I promise."

"Len, I already told you that I have plans, and you agreed to it.. in your own words, 'fine, do whatever the _fuck_ you want, just don't bother me about it and I'll stay out of your way.' Are you telling me that those just slipped out without your jurisdiction?"

He slipped into the quiet.

"... _honestly_ , you can bother me anytime you want.."

The only sound he released after that were more breathing, and something that sounded like a gentle snore.

Blond curls waved through her fingers like golden silk and wine, and there was no denying her addiction towards it. I cleared my throat, garnering enough attention for Rin to notice me. She broke into a smile, ushered me closer so I stood in the center of the rug, in front of the closed balcony doors. I met the sight of Len Kagamine with eyes closed and the steady rise and fall of his chest, asleep. An unfinished bowl of chicken soup lay by the foot of the couch, looking nearly untouched.

She struggled to escape his weight. Rin took all of four minutes to fix a cushion beneath her husband's head and the blanket over his body.

The morning sunshine filtered through the glass and it illuminated the way my hair was still damp from a cold shows.

Rin stood up, skin bathing in the crimson glow like emerald shining in a pit of rubies. Her lips were rose petals and her fingertips were the lightest prick of thorns on an untrimmed stem, growing from the woods where light was scarce and yet managing to define the delicacy of a winter flower.

She flattened the dark green skirt she wore with her palms, flashing her signature smile ー the one that reached her eyes, as her hands locked with mine. "Ready to go?"

I didn't speak. Just nodded.

"Great! We'll grab breakfast on the way. Give me one more minute."

My sister bent on her knees to fix the patch on her lover's forehead even though it didn't seem anywhere near falling.

He coughed in his slumber, causing Rin to soothe his hair away from his face once more in hopes that it'd be more comfortable to breathe. She must've noticed that we were short on time because those small shoulders stiffened when all I did was tap a foot against the carpet by instinct. There was a grateful sigh behind my back when I walked towards the front door instead of waiting around for her to stand back up and make the first move to leave.

She must've been hoping for me to look away.

Rin was shy. The show she put on with smooching her husband was private and personal. Rin wasn't the type of person who idolised putting affections on display for the entire world. I could, in fact, predict that she was sneakily kissing his cheek ー if not his mouth, at this very moment.

Even if I couldn't see it.

But I heard it.

Softer than a baby's coo.

The soft sound of her lips smacking against his skin and the gentle, "I love you," That followed afterward.

.

.

.

.

The school was much classier than I'd ever expect. The staircase leading to the building was lined with fountains on both sides, and each had small fast-moving fishes rushing upstream. It wasn't a particularly rare species but the sight was alluring all the same.

Trophies and medals decorated the entrance hall with frames and frames lining up each wall to flash the images of former protégés and famous names that previously attended the school. It must've been to encourage determination, but I only felt intimidated by each passing second.

Also they had pretty girls.

I won't lie.

Nice uniform skirts that went below their knees and pretty ties that fell over their chest. One of them smiled at me, and I sent nervous grin in return.

"Are you sure there isn't a slot you can fit him in?" Rin was frantic in the other room as I sat in the waiting area, shifting through whatever magazines they had on display. "I'll pay if he can take the entrance exam in advance and enter immediately. Please, we're really desperate."

I could hear her bargaining for little more than an hour and getting nothing out of it. She left the room looking fairly ruffled, and her hand pulled onto the sleeve of my wrist before I could say anything about it.

We left the building, meeting the wind's transition of winter to spring, and while I breathed in the crisp air, Rin was doing anything but.

Her body shivered beneath the cold and she drug her jacket tighter around her shoulder ー the cloth was huge, effectively drowning the woman in dark leather. When questioned whether it was her husband's, she dismissively denied it and confirmed that it was our father's instead.. it didn't take me long to recognise the piece and nod my head. I wasn't sure about what to say. I wasn't even sure if my dad _wanted_ her to have that jacket.

"You're doing good in school. They saw your examination grades," Rin spoke up, entering a convenience store that was just a little way down the street. I followed behind her. "And they would have taken you in already.. but the problem is, it's the end of the school year and they think it's a horrible time to accept new transfer students."

That doesn't sound too bad. "Doesn't the school year start in April?"

She took a basket off the rack and began filling it with instant soup packets.

I had to reach for one when she struggled even gracing it when she was stretching on the tip of her toes.

"It does. Thank you, darling." Rin ruffled my hair appreciatively. She went to the snacks aisle next, telling me to pick out anything I wanted because she hadn't offered the last time we went shopping. I refused, and she continued; "But this means we have to wait an entire month ー do you think you can handle waking up before the break of dawn and taking a few trains each morning just to get to school on time?"

This time, I raised an eyebrow ー cocking my hips to the side and doing my best _dad_ impression. Rin recognised it within a heartbeat and the laugh she released was music to my ears.

I lowered my voice.

"'Course I can, I'm a _Hibiki_."

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.

.

Len Kagamine was still sleeping on the couch by the time we got back. I went into my room to return my certificates into a box while Rin decided she'd pack the groceries into the kitchen before cooking dinner and taking up a bath. I stepped back out to the living room and went to ask her if she needed any help, but instead of seeing Rin in the open kitchen ー with her smiles that looked like crescent moons and her blinding eyes, I saw the bare back of a man.

Or maybe not so bare. He was standing at the kitchen counter, and a familiar pair of slender legs wrapped around his hips.

"You're still sick..." Said my sister's voice.

"No kidding. I'm _intoxicated_ by you.." Said the man's voice in return. He was carrying a teasing lilt.

My next mistake was looking down to avert my eyes. Standing out against the wooden floorboard was dark red lace.

I couldn't identify what it was at first. Lingerie?

And then the realisation followed. Yes, _Lingerie_.

Oh, no, no, I can't be walking into this, not now, not when I've only been here for less than a week.

Too late. Her husband moved his hips back. For a moment I thought he was going to turn around and catch me watching them in the act, and maybe kill me on the spot. But instead he did something vastly worse that I wouldn't even imagine.. grabbed onto her thighs, took a deep breath, and forced himself to knock into her body. There was no denying that _that_ was supposed to be the first thrust, especially the way she leant back and looked towards the ceiling like she was seeing stars.

Rin let out a cry and he groaned into her shoulder. On the kitchen counter. The place they prepare food and most likely often eat their breakfast, lunch and dinner at, every day.

I ran into the bedroom and locked the door behind me.

God knows I'm never eating _there_ again.

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.

.

.

"I made your favourite for dinner today."

I was _thirsty_.

Rin already made use of the kitchen (for proper food) while I was in the bath, and by the time I came out, they were doing _more_ than just cuddling on the couch so I decided to make the wise decision of waiting until my sister came to knock on the bedroom door and call me for dinner herself rather than cursing my eyes to fall seven levels down into the layers of hell.

That means the only glass of water I've had all day was in the morning, fourteen hours ago. All because I didn't want to intrude on, _ehem_ , a married couple's 'love-making'.

None of this means I'm holding my curiosity back in chains.

My head is resting on a pillow, back against the side of a wall ー but the door across the room has a slight gap that's left open and I can see them standing all the way in the kitchen.

"You're so sweet." Len cooed. She was stirring some mushroom soup on the stove and her husband was irritating her by dropping all his weight against her body. His chin rested on her shoulder. "Can I kiss you as a thank you? I think if I do it real quick, you won't get sick."

"Oh, no. If you're feeling better tomorrow you can cook my favourite, though. _As a thank you._ "

"Cheeky.. but okay."

He let out a sigh and she frowned.

The light flickered all the way from the living room, and both of them looked towards it at the same time, most likely having similar thoughts about needing to change it.

"By the way, I'm still upset with you." Rin turned off the heat and walked to the fridge to prepare some glasses of water while her husband kept attached to her like a koala on a tree. She didn't seem too bothered, so they likely did this often. _Not that I wanted to analyse their relationship._ Not at all. "If you really want to make me happy, go wake my brother up for dinner and talk to him tonight. I think he heard what you said the previous morning and I don't want that kind of scene stuck in his mind."

He unlaced himself from her and turned solemn. " _Rin._ "

"Len." She mocked. "Now."

He stood his ground, and she spun around to glare at him.

I knew she'd back down and apologise, telling him not to think too much about it and let her words be a forgotten request, I just knew it. Rin was _never_ stern, and she was always the one who followed others' rules rather than setting them. They were locked deep in each other's eyes and it was only a matter of time until she moved her gaze down and went for me herself.

Or so I thought.

Len Kagamine was tense for long enough.

He bit his bottom lip, broke their contact first, and walked towards the room I was sleeping in ー following his wife's orders with no more protest.

* * *

oh boy. this chapter feels somewhat.. incomplete to me, but i don't know what else to do so i'll just probably come back to edit this later.  
anyways i'll likely be uploading a _(T-RATED? WH?)_ new fic somewhere around this month, or the next if i don't have enough time. so beware Xu Lu's m-rated lenrin streak stories are coming to an end.


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